Cable-wrapping machine



Aug. 20 1929.

H. D. ROBINSON I CABLE WRAPPING MACHINE 7 Filed Juhe 4, 1927 6 Sheet s-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 710l/0nR Robinson TgRNEY Aug. 20, 1929. H. D. ROBINSON CABLE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 6 Shets-Sheet s Ho/ionfl on V7A TORNEY 1929 H. D. ROBINSON 1,725,540 CABLE WRAP-PING MACHINE Filed June 4,- 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 :ATZ ORNEY Aug. 20 929. H. D. ROBINSON CABLE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 ENT OR obmson T ORNEY Hollon 'Agg- 20, 1929- H. D. ROBINSON 1,725,540

CABLE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 e Sheets-Shet 6 rI/l III'IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIo 2/ TORNEY Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

"UNITED STATES] BOLTON D. ROBINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

C ABLE-WRAPPIN G MACHINE.

Application filed June 4, 1927. Serial-fie. 196,522.

This invention relates to machines for wrapping wire about the cables of suspension bridges and is animprovement of the machine illustrated and described in my,

previous patent for cable wrapping ma chines, dated February 28, 1911, No. 985,763. In my previous machine, I found it advisable to use a trolley or track arranged above the cable for support ing and guiding the driving mechanism. In carrying out my present invention, I have provided mechanism wherein the track may be entirely dispensed with. Instead of the track or trolley, I support the machine by means of a segmental saddle adapted to rest on the unwound'portion of the cable and to be moved by the crowding action of the wire last Wound, lengthwise of the cable, without rotating thereabout. I have further provided a centering mechanism which automatically adjusts itself to the varying diameters of the cable, and have so designed my improved machine that it may be readily taken apart and reversed for the purpose of completing the winding to a point in close progrimity to the suspender band. Various other improvements have been provided such as an adjustable and collapsible reel for the rapid mounting of a coil of wire and an arrangement of the frame whereby reversal of the machine may be readily effected.

The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view of a simple form of my improved machine, which is adapted to wind two wires simultaneously about a cable.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the same, the upper half of the figure being shown partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a front view of another form of my machine adapted to wind three wires simultaneously.

Fig. 4 is a side view and partial section similar to Fig. 2 of ,the form shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is afront view of another modification of my improved machine adapted to wind three wires about a cable, showing a modified arrangement of the parts, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section and partial side elevation thereof.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer to provide a. suitable annular frame and gear combined consistmg of-"two or more snmlar sections bolted together in such a manner that the sections may be readily detached from each other for arrangement about a cable and for their removal therefrom. The frame 'gear'ismade preferably as narrow as possible from front to back for the purpose of allowing the winding to be continued to a point as close as possible to the cable bands, which are usually bolted in place to the unwound cable before the'winding or wrapping operation is commenced. At their outer peripheries, the various sections of the frame gear/are provided with suitable gear teeth so that said gear may be continuously rotated by the driving mechanism provided for that purpose. Rotatable wire-carrying reels on the frame gear carry the wires around the cable when the gear is rotated. A

suitable relatively stationary saddle is provided on which the frame is supported and guided in its rotative movement, said saddle being adapted to rest on the unwrapped portion of the cable, and being moved along the cable by the advancing action of the wires on the'machine, the last turns to be wound tending to crowd the machine back wardlyaway from the wire as fully .described in my previous patent above menvtioned.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated three practical embodiments of my inventlon. These embodiments differ in the number ofwires which they are adapted to invention and falling within the range of equivalents afforded by the appended claims.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame 10 is shown as formed of apair of similar sections 11 and 12. Each of said sections is provided with suitable teeth as 13 on the outer periphery therof,

the inner periphery or hub 14: being of semicircular fcrm and having a radius greater than that) of the cable to be Wrapped. Suitable flanges as 15 are provided by means of which the sections may be removably bolted together as by meansof the bolts 16. To reduce the weight of the frame sections, openings as 17 may be provided therein. The reel 18 is shown mounted with the axis thereof substantially perpendicular to the axis of the machine. For adjusting and varying the resistance to rotation of said reel, I have provided an adjustable bearing therefor, comprising the pin 19 which is secured to the adjustable plug 20, which in turn is in threaded engagement with the rim projection 21 of the frame section. The pin 19 enters an opening 22 in the hub bearing 23 of the frame section, and is removably held in place by the screw plu 20 against the action of the spring 24 in the recess of the rim projection 21. Said pin'19, passes through the hub 25 of the reel and into the opening 22 whereby the reel is free to rotate thereafiout. The pressure of the spring 24 on the metal friction disc 26 and on. the leather washers 27 and 28, arranged respectively on opposite sides of the hub 25, serves to prevent 'the Wire from being drawn too rapidly off the reel by resisting and retarding the rotation of said reel.

On the inner cylindrical face 30 of the hub 14, I prefer to provide an annular groove 31 into which is fitted the tongue 32 of the saddle 33. During the operation of "the machine, said saddle is adapted to rest on the upper part of an unwrappedpart of the cable. It is suitably curved, preferably in an arc of greater radius than that of the cable to contact with the cable without injury thereto and supports the motor frame 34,Which' is suitably secured to the saddle.

The motor 35 on the frame 34 is driven through a suitable source of power, such as electric current. On the end of the motor shaft 36 is the drive pinion 37, meshing With the intermediate gear 38 fixed to one end of the shaft 39. Said shaft is revolubly mounted on the frame 34 and carries at its other end the intermediate gear .40 which engages the gear teeth 13 of the frame gear sections 11 and 12,and causes said sections to rotate together with the devices secured thereto as a unit about the saddle 33 when current is supplied to the motor. I

The combined centering support and Wire sleeve guide is mounted yieldingly in the opening '51 of a suitable bracket as 52 secured to the frame gear at such a point that 0 le. Since the cable is not perfectly circu er in cross-section, and since the crossseetion may vary at different parts of the cable, it becomes advisable to provide a yielding mounting for the guide 50 not only for the purpose of wrapping the wire tightly about the cable, but also for providing supporting means for the frame gear whichi's operative for all. usual shapes of the cable sections. and forthe unequal diameters of each section.

Said guide, while adapted to wind the wire under the desired tension, at the same time, should be able'to automatically adjust itself radially of the cable to function elliciently for the purposes just mentioned. Toward this end, I provide the screw plug 55 in adj ustable threaded engagement with the outer end of the'opening 51 and pinned to the rod 56, which is arrangedpreferably coaxially with said plug. The rod 56 is secured to the lower plug 57 which closes the opening. of the guide, a compression spring 58 being interposed between said screw plug 55 and the lower plug 57 for normally and yieldingly maintaining the guide 50 in its innermost position. Adjustment of this position of the guide may be effected by the rotation of the screw plug 55 in either direction.

lVhen, as in the modification now being described, only twowires are wound about the cable simultaneously, it is sometimes ad visable to provide yielding means for engaging the cable and aiding the combined wire' guide and support to center the machine. This is particularly so when the cable is irregular in cross-section as is usually the case.

I have provided such means in the guide rollers 60,.which engage the cable, and form, together with the guides 50 and the saddle 33, widely separated points of support for the frame gear 10 during the rotation of said frame. Each guide roller 60 is pivoted as at 61 to the yieldablesleeve 62,

which is mounted similarly to the Wire sleeve guide 50 and therefore need not be shown nor described, in detail. The screw plugs 63 serves to adjust the roller 60 in the same manner that the similar plu 55 adjusts the sleeve guide 50, a spring simi ar to the spring 58 being provided whereby the roller may adjust itself automatically to the non-circular crosssectional shapes of the cable during the wrappingoperation. It. will be understood that the said rollers and the mountings and brackets therefor may-be entirely omitted as in the modifications shown in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, if desired.

Referring again'to Figs. 1 and 2, the path of the wire from the reel 18 to its final position about the cable is indicated by the dash and dot lines of Fig. .1. It will be noted that the direction of movement of the wire is changed by the grooved pulley 65, arranged in angular relation both to the reel 18 and to the guides 50. Said pulley is suitably mounted, as by means of the bolt 66 for rotative movement, on the angular arranged bearing 67 projecting from the frame.gear

section. The wire is led fromthe reel 18 about the outer part of the pulley toward the lower part thereof, and is taken from the inner part of the pulley toward the guide 50, then through-the corner 54 of the guide and-around the cable. Rotation of the frame gear in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, causes the guide 50to advance in a circular path along the wire stretched between said guide and the pulley, and bends said wire along the cable'close up to the previous turn of wire. The reel from which the'wire is drawn is thereby rotated against the resistance of the retarding means therefor, so that the wire is constantly tensioned between the-reel and the guide, and as the turns of wire are constantly wound closely together, they exert a thrust upon the guides 50 in a direction away from the turns so that the entire machine together with the saddle 30' andthe driving mechanism carried thereby is forced away from the turns along the unwrapped part of the cable.

As the work progresses, the machine climbs the inclined cable until the saddle 33 reaches a point close to the suspender bands, when further advance of the machine along thecable is prevented by said bands. In order to Wrap the remaining portion of the 'cable between the point 'where the work is stopped and the end of the cable band, it

' becomes advisable to'reverse the machine so that the guides become arranged on that side of the machine nearer-the cable band. For

and the wires from the pulleys for preventingtangling or kinking of the wires.

After the machine has been reversed the wire is led from the reel 18 about the grooved pulley 65 and then about the auxiliary pulleybefore it is passed through the corner 54 ofthe wire guide, whereby the direction of feedin the wire to the cable is also reversed. he auxiliary pulley 70iis of such diame'ter'and is soarranged that the wire from the pulley 65 isbrought between the pulley 70 and the frame gear 11 and then about the pulley, into alignment with the new position of the corner 54 of the wire guide. At the same time the sleeve or wire ide 50 is rotated through an ,angle of bout 180 to bring the corner 54 thereof a vay from the face of the. machine, and as he r as possible to the cable band as shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 2. By this reversal of the machine and of the direction of feeding the wire," the wire is led in the same a direction as before reversing so that the wrapping may proceed in the same direction from the point where it was discontinued. The motor 35 being reversed as compared to its original direction of rotation, the winding may be continued in the same way up to the cable band, that is, until the guide 50,

which has been arranged at the forward part of the machine, is stopped by the cable band. In the reversed operation, the machine is pulled forwardly. by the advancing force of the turns of Wire instead of being pushed backwardly from the work as in the direct wrapping operation. The auxiliary pulley 70 is used only during the reversed winding operation of the machine for maintaining the direction of feeding the wire,

two and the frame gear is accordingly made of three similar sections lll, suitably secured together. The gear 113 is here shown as formed on separate sectional rim or ring secured to the sectional web 109 as by means of suitable rivets or bolts 110. .Thesectional .hub 114 of the machine is also made preferably of a separate piece in each of the sections 111 and is similarly secured to the web 109 as by means of the bolts or rivets 108. For securing the various sections 111 together I prefer to use the angles 107 each having one legsecured to one edge of the web 109 as by the rivets 106 and to each other I by means of suitable removable bolts 105.

Each of the sections 111 carries a reel 118, a pulley 160and a wire guide 150, having-the same functions and substantially the same construction as the corresponding reel, pulley and guide of the modification of my improved machine previously described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. K

The reel 118 is provided with a removable I I outer plate 104 secured to the drum 103 by means of suitable screws 102. For renewing the supply of wire on the reels, it is therefore unnecessary to ,remove the reel for replacement with a loaded reel,- but the plate 104 may be removed instead, and a new coil of wire slipped over the drum'103, after which the plate 104 and the screws 102 may be replaced' and the winding operation continued. In the normal direction of wrapping, the wire is drawn (from-the reel 118 'about the pulley 160 and thence to the guide,

secured to each other by the bolts 205.

150, which bends and wraps the wire about the cable on the rotation of the frame gear.

The saddle 130 rests normally on the unwrapped portion of the'cable, and is provided with annular groove for the reception of the tongue 131 of the hub 114. The motor frame 134 carries the motor 35 and drives the frame gear through the intermeshing gears 137, 138 and 140.

For winding the last part of the cable, adjacent to the cable band," the machine is reversed and the wire fed in the opposite direction relatively to the reel and pulley, but in the same direction relatively to the cable. For this operation, the bolts 105, joining the angles 107 of one of the sections lll to the adjacent sections, are removed. The section may then be removed from the remainder of the machine leaving a space through which the saddle 130 and the driving mechanism carried thereby may be withdrawn. The saddle is then rested on the wrapped portion of the cable in reversed position, that is, turned through a horizontal angle of-180. The frame sectionsare also withdrawn from the cable and reinserted thereabout in reversed position. The reels may be removed from the sections before reversal if desired to prevent entanglement of the unwrapped wires as hereinbefore described. After the removed section 111 has been replaced and rebolted in the machine, the wires are led from the reels 118 about the adjacent pulley 160 of the same section, whereby the direction of feed of the wire relatively to the cable'is maintained. A

, In the modification of my improved machine shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the sectional gear rim or ring 213 is similar to the ring 113 and hub 214 is similar to thehub 114, the plate or web 209 connecting said gear ring and said hub in the same manner as the plate 109 serves its function. The frame gear segments 211 are removably secured'together by means of the angles. 207 which are secured to said segments by means of the bolts or rivets 206 and which are removably The grooved pulleys 260 are arranged on the inclined bearing 261 of the bracket 262 in substantially the same manner as are the pulleys 160 on their brackets, but said pulleys 260 are preferably spaced equally from the reels 218. By so arranging the pulleys 260 it becomes possible to run the machine in the reverse position without changing the angular relation of the wire to the reel 218, the pulley 260, and the wire guide 250. Said wire guide is preferably arrangedalong the radius of the machine passingthrough the center of the feel, for this purpose. The saddle 230 is preferably segmental in form, having spaced projections 231 thereon provided with cylindrical surfaces as 232' of little radius adapted to rest along elements thereof of suitable proportions in the same manner as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. A gear cover 235 may be provided for said gears if desired.

' Referring particularly to Fig. 6, I have shown a mod ified form of reel 218 which need not be dismounted from the shaft 219 therefor when the supply of wire is to be rewhich the bolts 223 may be manipulated. A

series of wire holders 224, are adjustably When the coil of wire held between the flange 225 of the holder 224 and the plate 220 is exhausted, the bolts 223 are loosened whereupon the holders 224 may be moved inwardly radially a suflicient distance to allow the passage thereover of a new coil of .90 secured to the plate 220 by said bolts 223.

to maintain the parts in adjusted position.

It will be Seen that b the use of this fdrrn of reel, I am enabled to adjust the reel to feed coils differing appreciably in the inner and outer diameters. To reverse the machine in order to wrap that portion of the cable near the cable bands, the bolts 205, of one of the sections 211 are removed and the machine reversed in the same manner as described in connection with the previously described modifications. The wire is then led from the reels 218 to those pulleys 260 which are on the same respective sections after which the wire is led to that guide 250 arranged nearest to the reel.

It will be seen that I have provided a ma chine which is capable of supporting and ad'- vancing itself along the cable as the wrapping operation'proceeds without the necessity for,.nor the use of, extraneous support-- ing mechanism. It will further be seen that i scribed as it will be obvious that various changes therein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine for wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a revoluble member having a substantially central opening therein, wire-carrying reels on said member, means on saidmember for guiding wire from said reels around a cable on the rotation of said member, and a non-rotatable segmental saddle adapted to rest on, and to be advanced along the cable by the action of the wires woundabout said cable, said saddle being inserted into the opening of and-revolubly supporting said member thereabout, and a motor means supported by said saddle for driving said member. v

2. In a machine for wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a sectional revoluble frame gear, means for rotating said gear, a wire reeland a wire guide on each section of said gear, a: hub on sai'd gear, and means adapted to rest on the cable for engaging and revolubly supporting said hub, said means comprising a segmental saddle having one face terminating near one face of the hub,

and said saddle projecting beyond the other face of said hub for providing a support for the gear rotating means. 1

3. In a machinefor wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a frame gear, means on said gear for delivering and winding wire about the cable on the'rotation' of said gear, and a segmental saddle engaging part of the cable, adapted to be supported by and to be moved along the cable by the wire last wound thereon, for carrying said gear;

4. In a machine for wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a segmental saddle of less axial length than the circumference thereof, adapted to extend less than half way about the cable and to engage a comparatively small area of the cable top and. adapted to be be moved axially along the cable by the advancing action of the wire last 'lwound about the cable, and wire delivering means supported by said saddle for rotation there.- about.

5, In a machine for wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a frame gear, a wire reel on said gear, an adjustable spring pressed wire guide for leading wire about the cable, said guide projecting inwardly of said gear sufficiently to engage the cable sur face and a segmental saddle,engaging said gear and projecting beyond said gear on one. side only for supporting the gear.

6, In a machine for wrapping suspension I bridge cables in situ,'a series of frame gear sections, means for removably securing said" sections together, a wire reel and a y1eldable wire guide on each ofsaid sectlons, saidsupported by land to I receiving guidehaving a projecting lip for guiding the wire tangentially of the cable, means on each guide for adjusting the guide, an angularly arranged pulley on each of said sections adapted to have the Wire passed thereabout before said wire is led to said guide 7 r and a saddle projecting beyond the gear sections on one side only for supporting said sections, 7 I

'7. Ina machine for wrapping suspension bridge cablesdn situ, revoluble means adapted to be arranged about a cable for wrapping wire tlfieabout, anda relatively stationary segmental saddle of less length than its circumference adapted to rest directly on the top portion of the cable to engage a comparatively small areaof'the top of the cable, and

for engaging and supporting said revoluble means.

8. In a machine for wrapping suspension "bridge cables in situ, revoluble means adapted to be arranged about a cable for wrapping wire thereabout, a, relatively stationary saddle of less length than its circumference adaptedto rest directly on -acomparatively small area on. the top of the cable for engaging and supporting said-revoluble means on the outer face'thereof and a radially yields 9. In a machine fdr wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, revoluble means adapted to be arranged about a cable for wrapping wire thereabout,a relatively stationary segmental saddle adapted to rest directly on the cable for engaging and supporting said revoluble means, a radially yieldable wire guiding and controlling plunger on said revoluble means said plunger terminating in Y a reversible lip, and means for driving said revoluble means secured to and movable with said saddle lengthwise of the cable.

10; In a machine for wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a relatively stationary saddle ada' ted-to restdirectly on the cable and to be a vanced len thwise'of the cable, a

revolublelframe gear, supported by said saddle and interengaging means. on said saddle and gear for preventing relative axial movement while allowing relative rotary,movement of said saddle and gear, a wire reel on said gear, an angularly disposed pulle on said gear for changing the direction 0 the wire led from said reel, anda spring-pressed;

adjustable wire guide on said gear, said guide having a rojection forming a corner for the wire from said pulley and for controlling the .wire at a point at which the wire is substantially tangent to the cable.

11. In a machine for wrap ing suspension bridge cables in situ,'a sectional frame gear,

teeth on the outer'periphery of said gear,

a substantially cylindrical hub on said 'lg'ear,

having an annular depression on the inner face thereof, a wire reel on said gear, a radially yieldable wire guide and centering support on said gear having a radial projection thereon, an angularly disposed pulley on said gear interposed between said reel and said guide, a saddle of less circumference than that of said hub and of less length than its circumference and having an outer surface adapted to engage the inner surface of said hub, a projection on said saddle entering the depression of said hub, and a motor carried by said saddle for rotating said gears about said saddle;

- 12. In a machine for wrapping the cables of suspension bridges, a comparatively short segmental saddle adapted to rest on the cable and to allow the machine to wrap the cables up to a point close to the cable bands of the bridge, revoluble means carried solely by the saddle and adapted tofbe reversed with the saddle for wrapping wire about the cable closer to the cable bands than is ossible in the normal position of the machine, and a motor supported only by the saddle for 'ro-' tating the revoluble means.

13. In a machine for wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a saddle in the form of a section of a hollow cylinder subtending an angle of less than, 180 and adapted to rest on the cable and to move only axially therealong, wire delivering means revoluble about and directly supported by said saddle, and a motor supported only by said saddle for operating said wire delivering means.-

14. In a machine for wrapping suspension bridge cables in situ, a saddle adapted to rest on the cable, a revoluble frame gear having an opening therein in part of which said saddle'is inserted, said opening being free of the saddle through a circumferential angle of more than 180, cooperating means corner, arranged on said means for controlling the wire at a point at which said wire is substantially tangent to the cable and for centering said means, said guide bein designed to be reversed through an am; e of 4 180 into position to bring the corner further in advance of the machine in the reversed position of the machine than in the normal position thereof.

HoLToN 1) ROBINSON.

'on said gear and said saddle for allowing 

